Stephens's family relocated to Florida when she was 11 years old so she could train with the famed coach Nick Saviano.
Trained to beat balls and run around the court for five and six hours a day, Stephens is blessed with the sort of speed that would have made her a star in practically any sport she pursued. "There is fast and there is world-class speed, and Sloane has world-class speed," says Saviano, who worked with Stephens from ages 11-15. "Line up the top 100 players and I have no doubt Sloane wins that race."
Nainkin took over Stephens' on-court life 14 months ago when her climb toward the top of the sport began in earnest. His mission is to make sure she doesn't become the next young American hopeful to flirt with big-time success before stalling out (Melanie Oudin, Chanda Rubin).
He says Stephens moves side-to-side better than anyone in the women's game. But in tennis a player's greatest strength can become her greatest weakness if she doesn't use it correctly. As a junior and even against lesser pros, Stephens's strokes were consistent enough—especially her killer forehand—that she could win by hanging back and using her speed to defend the court until her opponent wilted or made an error.
As the competition got tougher, speed and the ability to defend could only take her so far. Great and even very good players take control of and win points by stepping into the court, taking balls early and putting shots away before opponents have a chance to breathe. Nainkin says Stephens will shift from good to great when she uses her strengths—that miraculous speed, quick hands and powerful groundstrokes—to overwhelm opponents instead of outlasting them.
Enter Stephens, who doesn't have Serena Williams's volatility or Sharapova's aloofness. She could be an ideal poster child for her sport and a seemingly perfect fit for Madison Avenue. She already is loading up on new deals with sponsors. She is set to announce multi-year deals with annual payments in the mid-six figures, according to people with knowledge of the terms, with both American Express and Johnson & Johnson's Listerine brand, deals that came about because both companies see her as the brightest new star in tennis. With new deals in the works with both UnderArmour and racket manufacturer Head, her off-court income should climb to some $4 million in the from the mid-six figures during the next two years. But she must continue to move up to justify her value.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323968704578652593146054324.html
Trained to beat balls and run around the court for five and six hours a day, Stephens is blessed with the sort of speed that would have made her a star in practically any sport she pursued. "There is fast and there is world-class speed, and Sloane has world-class speed," says Saviano, who worked with Stephens from ages 11-15. "Line up the top 100 players and I have no doubt Sloane wins that race."
Nainkin took over Stephens' on-court life 14 months ago when her climb toward the top of the sport began in earnest. His mission is to make sure she doesn't become the next young American hopeful to flirt with big-time success before stalling out (Melanie Oudin, Chanda Rubin).
He says Stephens moves side-to-side better than anyone in the women's game. But in tennis a player's greatest strength can become her greatest weakness if she doesn't use it correctly. As a junior and even against lesser pros, Stephens's strokes were consistent enough—especially her killer forehand—that she could win by hanging back and using her speed to defend the court until her opponent wilted or made an error.
As the competition got tougher, speed and the ability to defend could only take her so far. Great and even very good players take control of and win points by stepping into the court, taking balls early and putting shots away before opponents have a chance to breathe. Nainkin says Stephens will shift from good to great when she uses her strengths—that miraculous speed, quick hands and powerful groundstrokes—to overwhelm opponents instead of outlasting them.
Enter Stephens, who doesn't have Serena Williams's volatility or Sharapova's aloofness. She could be an ideal poster child for her sport and a seemingly perfect fit for Madison Avenue. She already is loading up on new deals with sponsors. She is set to announce multi-year deals with annual payments in the mid-six figures, according to people with knowledge of the terms, with both American Express and Johnson & Johnson's Listerine brand, deals that came about because both companies see her as the brightest new star in tennis. With new deals in the works with both UnderArmour and racket manufacturer Head, her off-court income should climb to some $4 million in the from the mid-six figures during the next two years. But she must continue to move up to justify her value.
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323968704578652593146054324.html
